Semper
by wolfmyjic
Summary: Semper means 'ever' or 'always' in Latin. So what causes Booth to use it to describe his and Brennan's partnership? Oneshot


**A/N: This is just a little one shot that I wrote the other day. Nothing big...just some good clean fun. Ok, so I was bored.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Sadly...However the plot is mine. There for the plot is... **

**© Wolfmyjic 2006**

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Dr. Temperance Brennan sat in her office staring at her computer. One elbow was propped up on her desk, her chin rested in her open palm. The other hand moved a small mouse, making the cursor move around the screen. She had already checked her email, and now she sat, casually surfing the information highway. Brennan let out a bored sigh. It was 1:30 in the afternoon and it had been raining since the day before. There were no pressing cases to work on and the weather just didn't inspire any other work. Brennan closed down the internet, pressed the correct keys to lock her computer and stood. She stretched her arms above her head and then moved to her office door. The lab was quiet, and she was curious as to what her team had found to do.

From her door she took in the scene. What caught her eye first were the windows. Although it was the afternoon, outside looked more like nighttime. Heavy, grayish-black clouds hung in the sky and blocked out the sun. There was no indication that the rain was going to slack up anytime soon. Brennan looked around the lab. She noticed that it was quiet. Zack sat at one table, books spread out in front of him and his hand moving over a notepad. His boyish face screwed up in thought. Hodgins stood at a microscope, squinting into it. Brennan could only guess as to what he was looking at. Angela and Booth sat opposite each other at another table. Angela's sketch pad between them and an intense round of Tic-Tac-Toe was going on. Booth had showed up at around 11:30 bearing lunch for everybody. He told them that there wasn't anything important going on at the FBI offices so he thought he would try here. Brennan smiled as Angela whooped in victory and Booth demanded a rematch.

There was a loud crash of thunder and the lights flicked once before going out. Everybody let out a collective groan. The lab was in semi-darkness for seconds before the backup lights came on. They weren't as bright as the normal lights but at least they didn't have to sit in the dark. Brennan made her way over to Angela and Booth. "You want to play the winner?" Angela asked, as she marked an 'x' and then smiled over at Booth. "Win again." Booth let out a sigh and held the pen out to Brennan.

"Here, Bones, maybe you'll have better luck." Brennan offered him a smile as she took the pen and slipped into the chair next to him.

"It's not luck, Booth," Brennan said, as she won her first game. "It's skill." Booth slumped back in his chair.

"Can we do something else?" he begged.

"Sure, what you got in mind?" Angela asked. Booth ran a hair through his hair. That was a good question. They all had things they needed to do, but the weather just drained all the energy out of you.

"I don't care," he finally answered. "Anything but tic-tac-toe."

"You're just sore cause you lost," Hodgins said walking up to the table. "We could play Truth or Dare?"

"Isn't that a childish game?" Brennan asked.

"Sure, but it'll be fun," Angela said with a grin. "What do you say, Booth? A little truth or dare to liven up the day."

"Fine with me," he answered giving a slight shrug.

"Hey, Zack, come on, we're going to play a game," Hodgins called out. Zack looked up from his paper.

"I've got to finish this, go ahead without me."

"Okay, I'll go first," Angela said. "Jack, truth or dare?"

"Always up for a dare, baby," he said with a smile. This went on for a half hour. Zack finally joined after three rounds. Brennan complained the most about the game. Saying that it was childish and they were all intelligent adults and should be able to find a new game to play.

"Bones, truth or dare?" Booth asked, annoyed at her pleas. She let out a sigh.

"Dare."

"Feeling adventurous, are we?"

"Just give me the stupid dare."

"Okay, okay, how about," he thought for a moment. "Write your name with your feet."

"What kind of dare is that?" Brennan demanded.

"A funny one," Hodgins answered for Booth.

"You've been dared, Bren, you have to do it." Brennan rolled her eyes, but reached down and took off one shoe. Then she place a pen between her toes, threw Angela's pad on the floor and spelled out a shaky 'bones'. Brennan leaned down picked up the pad and handed it to Booth with a smile of triumph.

"I meant your whole name," Booth said. "Not just Bones."

"You didn't say that," she countered with a smile.

"But Bones isn't even you real name."

"No, but it's what _you _call me, and since it was _you_ who dared me, I thought it was appropriate. But if you want to _argue_ the point that Bones isn't my name then."

"I get it, Bones," Booth said, holding up his hands in defeat.

"Okay, my turn," Angela said, pulling everybody's attention to her. "Booth, T or D?"

"Umm, let's go with truth this time," he answered. "I'm still dizzy from that last dare." Angela rubbed her hands together.

"What is your biggest fear?" Booth cocked his mouth to one side. _Maybe I should have kept with dare._

"Trying to turn this into a deep game, Ange?" he teased.

"No, just trying to learn more about my favorite G-man." They all watched him as he thought.

"Not doing my job right," he finally said.

"That's your biggest fear?" Hodgins asked.

"Yeah, Agent Booth," Zack piped in. "Why would that be your biggest fear?"

"Simple," Booth said. "If I don't do my job right, then somebody could end up dead. Like my partner." That earned him every pair of eyes at the table.

"Oh," Angela said. Silence settled over the table.

"Zack, T or D?" Hodgins asked.

"Truth." The game went on.

"Brennan, T or D?" Hodgins asked.

"Truth."

"Who is Andy really based on?" Booth smiled.

"Yeah, Bones?" Brennan blushed.

"I've told you. My characters are based on no one."

"Are you sure?" Hodgins asked.

"You can't lie," Angela reminded her.

"I'm not! They aren't based on anybody."

"I tried man," Hodgins said to Booth.

"Okay, Booth," Angela said. "T or D?"

"We'll go with a dare this time."

"Well, this sorta a truth as well." Booth raised an eyebrow. "Make a word using your name and Brennan's name. Any part of your whole names, but it has to describe your partnership. Did that make sense?"

"A word that describes Bones and mine partnership. But the word has to be made out of our names. Right?" Angela nodded. Booth rubbed his hands up his face. He interlocked his fingers and rested his hands on his head. His eyes staring at the ceiling. _What word describes Bones and me? Well, what words can I make out of our names? Booth and Brennan…umm, Bonan? Brenth? Booth and Bones…well, Bones. Bonth? Seeley and Temperance…Templey?_

"I've got it," Booth said dropping his eyes. Everybody else at the table had began to talk while Booth thought, but they all fell quite. "I used Seeley and the first part of Temperance and got Semper." Brennan looked at him with wide eyes. "You know, the Latin word meaning always and ever." Booth caught her eyes. "That's how I think of our relationship," he told her. "That it'll last always." He flashed her a smile that she returned. "Semper, Bones."

"Semper," she said back to him. And they both knew it was true.

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_I told you it was just a happy, fluffy one shot._


End file.
